32 intellectuals and activists file petition urging government to lift ban on NewJeans' activities amid ongoing ADOR lawsuit

32 intellectuals and activists from across South Korea have jointly filed a petition urging the government and judiciary to lift the ban on NewJeans (NJZ) ’s activities, as per a report by South Korean media outlet Mediawatch, on October 22, 2025. As the legal battle between the K-pop girl group and their agency ADOR continues, the group remains prohibited from engaging in any entertainment activities until a court ruling determines the validity of their contracts.

The petition criticizes the current system governing artists’ contracts and calls for institutional reform to protect entertainers’ rights. Prominent political figures, academics, and cultural commentators have supported the appeal, emphasizing the need for government intervention. As per Mediawatch, it highlights growing concern over the treatment of artists within the South Korean entertainment industry.

The petition, submitted to the Seoul Central District Court and key government officials, including Senior Secretary for Political Affairs Woo Sang-ho, Secretary for Culture and Sports Lee Dong-yeon, and Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young. The signatories also include National Assembly member Son Hye-won, Catholic University professor Sung Ki-seon, People’s Economy Research Institute director Ahn Jin-geol, former Reform New Party supreme council member Cho Dae-won, former ambassador to Vietnam Kim Do-hyun, and Mediawatch CEO Byun Hee-jae, among others.

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Intellectuals urge government intervention as NewJeans remain inactive ahead of October 30 ADOR contract ruling

In their joint statement released on October 22 (KST), as per Mediawatch, the intellectuals expressed regret that NewJeans’ artistic freedom had been restricted due to the court injunction. They pointed out that South Korea lacks a certified or public agency system to safeguard entertainers’ legal rights, unlike the United States.

“We regret the fact that New Jeans is fundamentally banned from all entertainment and entertainment activities due to the injunction of the small court. Unlike the United States, which is a developed country in the entertainment industry, Korea does not have a ‘certified agency’ system to protect the legal interests of celebrities," the petition stated.

The petition also criticized the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s standard contract, which binds artists like NewJeans to a single agency for up to 7 years and imposes obligations almost entirely on the entertainer.

"The problem is the standard contract of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, which imposes obligations on celebrities for a whopping 7 years while subordinating all of a celebrity’s livelihood activities to a single agency.” it added.

The statement further noted that HYBE chairman Bang Si-hyuk established ADOR in October 2021 with ₩16 billion KRW (about $11.1 million USD) in capital investment. Following NewJeans’ debut in July 2022, HYBE reportedly earned nearly 4 times the investment through operating profit. About this, the petitioners cited as an example of the imbalance in artist-agency power dynamics. They argued that in the United States, certified agencies allow artists to renegotiate or terminate contracts through opt-out clauses, ensuring fairer treatment.

“In the case of the United States, where a public agency manages the contract, the player would have acquired free agency status through an opt-out clause or secured the right to renew the contract.” the statement added.

Additionally, political commentator Kim Sung-soo and Mediawatch CEO Byun Hee-jae recently submitted a related petition to the Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Division 41, which is handling the NewJeans-ADOR case as per the outlet. They suggested a “Solomon-like” approach similar to the 1996 case of baseball player Lim Sun-dong, where a trade was ordered within 2 years as a balanced resolution. The petitioners urged the court to consider a similar path to protect the group’s professional future.

"We urge the government to step in at the national level and, through a nationwide consensus and coordination, prevent the members’ desired activities from being fundamentally banned due to a single court ruling based on a flawed standard contract, thereby preventing the disintegration of a world-class idol group, which could be a national asset" the petition stated.

The joint appeal also called on the government to mediate through national-level discussion and consensus to prevent artists from being sidelined by restrictive contracts and legal injunctions. It proposed adopting a U.S.-style certified agency system as a long-term solution to recurring contract disputes between agencies and entertainers. The petition emphasized that such reforms are essential to prevent further harm to South Korea’s entertainment industry and safeguard artists’ rights in future cases like NewJeans'.

In 2024, NewJeans informed ADOR of their decision to terminate their exclusive contracts after the dismissal of former CEO Min Hee-jin. The members began working independently changing the group name to NJZ. However, a court ruling in May of 2025 sided with ADOR, stating that the group’s attempt to leave the agency was invalid. The ruling also ordered that each member would be liable for 1 billion KRW per violation if they pursued independent activities outside ADOR’s management. Since then, NewJeans remained inactive.

The first trial verdict on whether the members can officially end their contracts with ADOR is scheduled for October 30, 2025. Should the court rule in favor of ADOR, the contracts will remain in effect until July 2029.

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In a separate development, former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin has established a new entertainment agency, OOAK (pronounced “oh-kay”), as of October 24, 2025.

Edited by Adrija Chakraborty